Egyptian mobile operators referred to Public Prosecution over misuse of personal data
Egypt's National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority NTRA has referred the country's four mobile operators—Etisalat, Vodafone, Orange, and WE—to the Public Prosecution for investigations into violations concerning the registration of mobile phone numbers. This action follows numerous complaints from citizens, including an Information Systems student who was sentenced to 25 years in prison after a SIM card registered in his name was allegedly used by a drug dealer. Many Egyptians discovered through the “My NTRA” application that SIM cards were registered under their national IDs without their knowledge or consent. Engineer Mohamed Ibrahim, spokesperson for NTRA, stated that over 4,000 complaints have been received and are being investigated. Mohamed Maghraby, an artificial intelligence and technology security expert, suggested that some telecommunications company employees might misuse customer ID information to activate and sell SIM cards on the black market to meet sales targets. The NTRA has clarified that having a mobile number registered in a person’s name does not automatically make them legally responsible for actions committed using that number, provided it is established that the line does not belong to them. The authority is also reviewing and developing regulations, intensifying audits, and exploring biometric verification systems to enhance registration accuracy and security. Citizens are urged to regularly check their registered numbers via the “My NTRA” app a
